A couple of updates for you:
The August Keto Krate is now sold out. Sign up now to secure a September Keto Krate, shipping out September 7th.
They always sell out fast! ๐
Also, KetoBrownie is now offering single sample orders for a limited time. That means you can order ONE Keto Brownie bar, instead of whole box โ if you just want to try them out. ๐ Enjoy!
*Update: those single bars sold out FAST but stay tuned to see if he offers that again. Apparently people *loved* that option.;)
Below are ALL of my low carb meals for four full days, including my MyFitnessPal diaries so you can see how I logged those foods.
This is for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday of this week. You can see Mondayโs Meals here, and the previous 5 days in this Low Carb Food Diary post.
Let me just say upfrontโฆ
I havenโt had much of an appetite this week.
Youโll recall I was feeling down on Mondayโs Hike, and just finished my hiking snacks when I got in and went to bed at 7pm (lol). Then on Tuesday I slept something like 11 hours on and off. I felt exhausted that day โ all day. ๐
As for the rest of the week, I really canโt say. Nothing appealed, but I did my best to get in enough calories and to make good food choices.
I think between having a lot on my mind, and some work stress to deal with this week on top of that, I just lost my appetite.
Iโve decided on a solution for that though, which Iโll share with you in a minute. ๐
My Low Carb Meals on Tuesday
After falling asleep at 7pm the night before, I was up by 1am. I had ZERO appetite though, and went back to bed around 5am. I ended up sleeping a little over 11 hours total that day, on and off.
Around 10am I knew I needed to eat something, especially after skipping dinner the night before. So I grabbed two Keto Brownie Nutrition Bars for breakfast:
Those bars are delicious, so I *knew* I would eat that!
For lunch/dinner I made a HUGE plate of 4 eggs and 4 slices of bacon, with the eggs scrambled in real butter with just over 2 ounces of cheese cubed off the block.
That actually made two meals for me ๐ and I had another Keto Brownie bar later that night. I also had 4 coffees, and drank 72 ounces of waterโฆ
Hereโs my MyFitnessPal Food Diary for Tuesday:
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My Low Carb Meals on Wednesday
I had zero interest in breakfast and a few errands to run, so I grabbed some raw pecan halves and mozzarella string cheese (and a bottle of water, of course!) to take with me on the go.
I snacked on that ^ closer to lunchtime, then decided to try to get in a GOOD meal โ so I took myself out for a late lunch. ๐
It was a gorgeous day here in Tennessee, so I picked one of my favorite restaurants that has great patio seating.
I started off with a crisp, fresh side salad:
I ordered a big juicy Delmonico Ribeye steak smothered in fresh mushrooms, with roasted vegetables as my side. That includes carrots, which I always bring home for my great dane. ๐ He loves carrots!
It was fabulous, and cooked perfect, but I really only picked at it. ๐
I did finish it later that evening though, along with the rest of the salad. ๐
I also had 5 coffees, and drank 56 ounces of waterโฆ
Hereโs my MyFitnessPal Food Diary for Wednesday:
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My Low Carb Meals on Thursday
Breakfastโฆ ugh. Here we go again. ๐
lol โ food just felt like a hassle at this point.
Fortunately I had that box of Keto Brownie Bars so I grabbed two of those with a serving of raw pecans โ something I could (and would!) eat at my desk while I got some work done. ๐
Those are so incredibly good! Although not everyone agreed. But they were definitely my save this week โ and such a wholesome bar to enjoy when you donโt feel like fussing with food!
For lunch I threw together a snack plate of nuts, meat & cheese: a pork stick I got from a recent Keto Krate Box and some colby jack cheese slices & raw pecans:
Dinnerโฆ was date night! ๐
I met Aaron at OโCharleyโs because we both LOVE the Cedar Plank Salmon there. Itโs flown in fresh (never frozen!) and the ONLY place I know of in Tennessee to get FRESH salmon.
I ordered my salmon blackened, with steamed broccoli and asparagus โ knowing this is a meal I will most definitely EAT. ๐
I didnโt touch it. Not one bite. ๐
I got caught up in conversation (with zero appetite, even though it looked amazing!) and put the entire meal in a to-go box to bring home:
So much for good intentions. ๐
I had 4 coffees, and drank 56 ounces of water tooโฆ
Hereโs my MyFitnessPal Food Diary for Thursday:
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My Low Carb Meals on Friday
I got up and made my favorite โlow carb cerealโ with 1/2 cup pecan pieces, 1/4 cup Daisy brand cottage cheese and 4 small strawberries:
Thatโs my favorite meal, always delicious, and it has perfect LCHF macros. ๐
For lunch I had my leftovers from OโCharleyโs the night before, which WAS delicious โ and just as good the next day!
I only made it through about half that plate though, and put the rest back in the refrigerator. Iโll finish that sometime today Iโm sure. ๐
And yes, I went to bed hungry โ but too tired to careโฆ
Hereโs my MyFitnessPal Food Diary for Friday:
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Working Out Solutionsโฆ
For the most part, I got in enough calories this week. Especially considering Iโve been fairly sedentary since my big hike on Monday. Yesterday being the exception, because under 1,000 calories is not acceptable.
Iโm less concerned about calories of course, and more with my lack of appetite in general. I realize that intermittent fasting is popular in the low carb communities, but that is only EVER okay if you do it mindfully and intentionally.
Iโve had some heavy things on my mind this week (VERY heavy) and my response has been to NOT eat, where I used to binge eat when I was stressed or emotional.
While Iโm not skipping meals on purpose (as a form of self punishment, like bingeing), it still concerns me.
In case youโre curious:
No, Iโm NOT losing weight.
My body seems to be in a bit of a โholdโ fluctuating up and down a pound or two, stressed no doubt between my lack of eating and sporadic exercise.
Going from a 2,000+ calorie burn to an 11-hour sleep and skipping meals has my body all confused ๐ lol.
Iโm a big believer in listening to your body: eat when youโre hungry, sleep when youโre tired. So Iโve been following that this week, while trying to get in enough calories to keep going โ and going out for fatty meats and green vegetables.
It crossed my mind that I might have Keto Flu this week, meaning something I ate last week knocked me out of ketosis (the bar, the cookie, maybe?). I have had leg cramps, and the keto flu does make me feel emotional (like PMS on steroids! lol).
With that in mind, as a possibility at least, I decided to just ride this out. But Iโm not one to let things โrideโ too long ๐ so Iโm getting proactive about it โ starting today!
I decided I should start walking again, every single day.
Thereโs no reason I canโt get in at least a mile, especially with the weather cooling down. And my great dane LOVES to get out and walk around town with me!
This photo from last Fall reminded me how much we LOVE our walks!
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Walking again should stimulate my appetite, plus it always helps me work out stress and work through things on my mind. Thereโs nothing better than a fast-paced walk in the sunshine to clear my head!
The second thing is to DEAL WITH the things that are stressing me with work.
This seems so obvious, right? Yet all too often we just LET stress eat at us (heh, I love a good pun!) instead of addressing the problem.
Right, simple: address the problem!
Feeling down on yourself because youโre not exercising like you want to be? (me!) Solution: get off your ass and work out then!
Feeling stressed with a work project that you canโt seem to finish? (me!) Get it DONE already! Knock it out, get it off your plate, get on with it.
Whatever the problem, because life is FULL of them, it seems itโs human nature to get sucked into the problem and let it affect you far more than it should. When the solution is to simply DO this or STOP doing that.
I could literally (and did this week!) curl up on the couch and watch two full episodes of some show I donโt even follow, because Iโm feeling down or stressed about not exercising or that work project โ when in that same amount of time I could have outlined a solution AND walked a good mile or two!
Iโm usually all about intentional living. Meaning: make deliberate and intentional choices based on the outcome you desire. Period โ plain and simple.
Sometimes you just get sucked into stress or emotions or the flow of life in general.
When that happens, STOP and take note of your thoughts & feelings. Are they in line with who you want to be and what YOU want to be doing?
If not, do something about it. Take action, change course, fix problems, whatever it takes to break out of the hamster wheel!
On that noteโฆ Iโm off for a walk. ๐
And no, I do NOT feel like getting up or getting out or walking even one measly mile. Iโm just going to MAKE myself do it, knowing Iโll feel GREAT afterward โ or at least better than I do now.;)
How are things going with you?
I would LOVE to hear how things are going on your end. What are you struggling with, how is your weight loss going โ any questions?
Leave a comment & letโs chat.;)
Apologies for the long ramble, but hopefully my working this out โout loudโ proves useful to you if youโre in a funk too, or the next time you are.
Itโs okay to have downtime, or even to be down sometimes.
Itโs just not okay to stay there.
Especially when you realize itโs starting to spiral and make you feel worse, or MORE down. Stop that right in itโs tracks, and redirect.
Put yourself back in the driverโs seat and get back to your happy, spunky self!
Tip For Today: โฅ Love Yourself โ Take Care of YOU โฅ
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
p.s. Knowing I was falling into this โfunkโ I ordered myself the Jump-Start Your Goals in 90 Days! Motivation & Success Planner. So after my walk this morningโฆ Iโm going to sit down and brainstorm goals & solutions. ๐
I *LOVE* the InnerGuide planners, plus this one is perfect for the upcoming 90 Day Low Carb Challenge that starts on September 1st!
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Discount Code: LOWCARBTRAVELER
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Hi Lynn,
Iโm sorry youโre not feeling well this week; i hope youโre able to relax this weekend and get better!
I have a question regarding the net carb hack for MFPโฆ.i want to make sure i understand. If i do the hack online, will it make the change automatically in my app?
Iโm just starting this LCHF way of eating, and i look forward to seeing some results, as well as feeling better. It has been hard for me to stay on track, but your blog has been such an inspiration for me.
Blessings,
PattyAnn
Thank you, PattyAnn โ Iโm so glad youโre finding inspiration here! I also find TONS of inspiration here, and love sharing the journey as I go. ๐
Iโm feeling MUCH better by the way, thank you. Iโm excited to get out for a good walk and dig in to SOLUTIONS today!
No, the net carbs wonโt show up in the MyFitnessPal app or mobile version โ only online in Firefox or Chrome browsers. I still use the app though, to put in foods/meals on the go.
From the app you can tap Nutrition and then tap Graph to see your macro ratios though. Thatโs useful! ๐
Thanks! So glad youโre feeling better!! I went for a 2-mile walk with my hubby this morning; such a beautiful morning!
Thank you! Itโs gorgeous weather here in TN all weekend too. Iโm sure your walk together felt great โ and was also a nice way to spend time together. ๐
I have a new mantra: What is your alternative? That is what I tell myself whenever I need to kick myself in the rearโฆ I have been to the gym this week and even a yoga class this morningโฆ I have a free membership and decided to finally use it, because what is my alternative? To stay unfitโฆ Anyway, I also did not like the keto brownie. I had ordered a whole box and it ended up in the trash. I like the new hero bars from Quest a lot better! Have you tried those? Enjoy your weekend!
Hi Helga ๐ That is very similar to what I say, which is: โIf not now โ when?!โ That was my biggest take-away from Laura Fenamore in her book titled Skinny, Fat Perfect!
I havenโt tried the Quest Hero Bars yet. Glad to hear a good review! What was it you didnโt like about the Keto Brownie Bars? Iโm loving everyoneโs input on those!!
Did not like the greasy feel and the texture as well as the taste. I guess I just did not like them!
Thank you for the feedback! ๐
Hi Lynn,
I adore the picture of you and your not so lil fur baby! Heโs awesome and I bet he enjoys the walks too. I bought my cats an indoor treadmill-ish exerciser and my female cat (Penelope) loves it!
I discovered the KETO lifestyle in January with co-workers and Iโve lost 30 pounds. Wow that even feels pretty amazing to type! My weight loss has slowed significantly but to be honest, I feel very happy with my current weight because it was my goal in January. And I always think, โwell I could loose another 5 poundsโ LOL!
Ultimately, Iโve experienced so many great benefits to being KETOโfied, other than loosing weight. Like gaining new friends (ones that understand this journey) & ditching the brain fog!
Basically, I just wanted you to know, your not alone! We all get in that funk and just need help recognizing when itโs time to give the funk the boot! I signed up for a race to get back at my fav hobby of running. Watching you hike (the thing you love!) helped inspire me to get back at it! I will be running in the Disney Wine & Dine 1/2 marathon in Orlando this November. *woot woot*
I just wanted to say โTHANKS!โ and remember to implement my favorite Nike saying โJust Do It!โ when needed.
Nicole D. (aka senselessenvy)
P.S. Iโm jealous cuz you live in my fav state. My grand parents are from Oneida, TN and I <3 TENN!
Congrats, Nicole! 30 pounds is a LOT to lose and a GREAT achievement! ๐ ๐ And kudos for getting back into running with a race. Double wow!!
Tennessee truly is beautiful. I travel all over, and always LOVE coming home. ๐ Iโm fortunate to live in an area where there are endless waterfalls and lakes and trails to explore โ all within an hour of me.
Slim is a handsome guyโฆ for an old man. ๐ Heโs almost 8 1/2 now, but still frisky and ready to go chase poodles! haha. Thank you for your kind words, and taking a minute to leave a note โ it made me smile. ๐
Glad youโre getting out for walks because they are very refreshing. I have a 4 year old lab and she forces me to walk every morning! She will follow me around all morning until I do! And the mornings where itโs raining and we canโt get out right away, she is a royal brat! I guess it goes to show walks are good for everyone!
Iโm on day 6 of being back on my journey to better health. Iโve had a headache for the last 2 days and tried all the broth, pickles, excedrin, ibuprofen and tons of water and nothing was helping. I think between hormones, sinus and sugar withdrawal I was getting it from every angle. I finally started getting some relief about 2 hours ago. Itโs draining when you go to bed with a headache and wake up with one.
I love your attitude about just fixing the stressor and not just sitting on it and letting it eat at you. Iโm one to deal with things pretty quick because the stress isnโt worth it to me. It took a lot of trial and error to figure that out!
We only live one life, letโs make the most of it!
That is a GREAT point, Barb! Well said. ๐
Nothing helps my keto flu headaches either. Theyโre relentless! ๐ I just have to get through it for a day or two until it clears. I always find that a good deterrent if I feel even slightly tempted to eat something off plan. Ugh!
Iโm going to have to get Slim to hold ME more accountable to those morning walks, lol. Your story about your lab made me smile! And laugh, about her being a brat about it, ha!
Hereโs to a better week ahead, for both of us! ๐ *cheers*
As you know, Iโve struggled a lot lately. Got off track again last night, but, this morning as I was contemplating going to get a donut, I sat and thought, what would Lynn do?! I so want to get off some meds, be healthier, and look better, so I kept thinking I could just wait and start again on the fall 90 day challenge.
Instead I made a conscious decision to start now, today, and every day and do the best I can. Will I have bad days, sure, but I think of how you continually inspire us even when your having your doubts and problems. You keep plugging away and look on the positive side. I am so thankful and grateful for your support and encouragement! Thank you, Lynn!!!!
Debbie
That makes my day, Debbie. ๐ Smart choice!!
I cannot tell you how many of my tomorrowโs became yesterdayโs that turned into months โ and then years โ full of regrets.
Today is all we really have. ๐
Those are GREAT incentives to consider every single morning. Get that image of you โ off meds, healthy, looking lean and feeling awesome! โ and focus on it. I find that helps me SO much when I have those wavering moments. ๐
Terry I love your attitude towards food. I have a similar way of eating but I have a weird question I guess, I am afraid to incorporate cheese into my diet as I am afraid of being constipated by it. Any suggestions? Do you have any problems with this? I understand if this is too private in nature and you prefer not to answer? TFS all that you do.
Hi ML ~ You can ask anything! ๐
Some people experience constipation on a low carb diet, others experience the opposite problem (me, lol). If you DO have trouble with constipation: 1) make sure you are getting at least 70% of your calories in healthy fats, and 2) make sure you are NOT getting more than 25% protein. Also cut out any processed foods and eat super simple.
Cheese is not required of course, you can easily eat a healthy low carb diet without any cheese at all.
Also, magnesium is the main ingredient in most laxatives โ and low carb foods that are HIGH in magnesium include: spinach, swiss chard, sunflower seeds, almonds, turnip greens, summer squash, edamame, peanut butter, avocado, salmon, halibut, chicken, beef, broccoli.
Thank you so much for answering my question, Lynn. I will remember these suggestions and incorporate some of these foods into my diet since I Iike them all (well, not Swiss chard) but I appreciate your time
Youโre welcome ๐ Spinach and Avocado are my favorites. I love to take a very ripe avocado and salt it and brown it in butter โ it comes out like โhome friesโ. So good!
Spinach I like to cook with, like these Spinach Biscuits: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/17148/low-carb-vegetable-meal-recipe/
And Spinach Burgers: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/6606/low-carb-spinach-burger-recipe/ and Spinach Meatballs: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/16387/low-carb-pasta-and-meatballs-recipe/ ๐
Thx for sharing, your story made me relate to my own funk! Iโm motivated to do something to make the necessary changes and stick with this WOE!!! I am 6 weeks in, and the scale just isnโt moving alot! However, I started at 221 in June of this year, and I am down to 209.8. Iโm excited to know that this WOE does and will work. My appetite has decreased and sometimes I have to force myself to eat as well. I am hopeful with the change in the weather I will be able to get outside and get more active. Honestly this is the best Iโve felt in years, so even if it takes 4-ever to get the scale to agree with me, Iโm in for the Long Haul! I too Love some Avocado browned in butter!!! (My New Potato) ๐ Again Thx for sharing, I feel better just knowing Iโm not alone in this struggle! Have a great week, and cheers to Giving Our Funk the Boot!!!
Yes! to the BOOT, LaFayla ๐
While you definitely want to relax into this as a lifestyle and โplay the long gameโ โ just focus on eating healthy & getting healthy โ Iโd love to hear how youโre tracking, and whether you usually do 20 net carbs max and 70% fat minimum?
I find besides tracking, which has been KEY in my own weight loss (that, and never going below 70% fat) โ the simpler I eat, the better. Whole foods, simple meals, usually 3 or for ingredients at a time max.
I am so sorry that you have been feeling under the weather Lynn! I hope that you regain your energy and appetite soon. Stress is such a knockout for me tooโฆ
Last week was very busy. Being an introvert, I was out of my comfort zone a bit with a few social acitivities and a very chatty guest in my house. ๐ My nutrient tracking flew out of the window last week (even though I was sticking diligently with the low carb regime).
So this week will be about recuperation and rebalancing. I am going to take your advice about intentional living โ โMake deliberate and intentional choices based on the outcome you desireโ. Love it! I will write it on my whiteboard. ๐
You are right โ the choices are always ours to make. And if the outcome is not what we desire, there is always an option to make appropariate changes. I need to remember this โ and also to do my exercises! ๐
Iโm feeling MUCH better thankfully, and have my usual happy appetite back too. ๐ Yay! That really helps with energy (eating healthy, and enough).
But yes, stress can really throw you for a loop. Itโs good to take stock, rest and recover when you need to, then make positive changes.
Interestingly enough, as soon as I got my head out of my _ _ _ (lol), positive opportunities and circumstances started popping up like crazy. Life is funny like that. ๐ Positive breeds positiveโฆ
Hereโs to a MUCH better week for us fellow introverts! ๐ *cheers*
Cheers to that, Lynn! ๐